أَلَم تَشكُر لَنا كَلبٌ بِأَنّا

أَلَم تَشكُر لَنا كَلبٌ بِأَنّا

جَلَونا عَن وُجوهِهِمِ الغُبارا

جَلَونا عَن وُجوهِهِمِ الغُبارا

Has Kalb not thanked us because we

Did not a dog thank us that we

cleared the dust from their faces?

Removed the dust from their faces?

كَشَفنا عَنهُمُ نَزَواتِ قَيسٍ

كَشَفنا عَنهُمُ نَزَواتِ قَيسٍ

وَمِثلُ جُموعِنا مَنَعَ الذِمارا

وَمِثلُ جُموعِنا مَنَعَ الذِمارا

We drove Qays's onslaughts away from them,

We uncovered from them the attacks of Qais

and hosts like ours defended all that is held dear.

And the likes of our group prevented the predators.

وَكانوا مَعشَراً قَد جاوَرونا

وَكانوا مَعشَراً قَد جاوَرونا

بِمَنزِلَةٍ فَأَكرَمنا الجِوارا

بِمَنزِلَةٍ فَأَكرَمنا الجِوارا

They were a people who had settled beside us

They were a people who lived next to us

at a settlement, so we honored the rights of neighbors.

In a status, so we honored the neighborhood.

فَلَمّا أَن تَخَلّى اللَهُ مِنهُم

فَلَمّا أَن تَخَلّى اللَهُ مِنهُم

أَغاروا إِذ رَأوا مِنّا اِنفِتارا

أَغاروا إِذ رَأوا مِنّا اِنفِتارا

But when God forsook them,

But when God abandoned them,

they raided when they saw us slacken.

They raided when they saw us weaken.

فَعاقَبناهُمُ لِكَمالِ عَشرٍ

فَعاقَبناهُمُ لِكَمالِ عَشرٍ

وَلَم نَجعَل عِقابُهُمُ ضِمارا

وَلَم نَجعَل عِقابُهُمُ ضِمارا

So we punished them at the end of ten nights,

So we punished them for their treachery

and did not leave their punishment in doubt.

And did not make their punishment concealed.

وَأَطفَأنا شِهابَهُمُ جَميعاً

وَأَطفَأنا شِهابَهُمُ جَميعاً

وَشُبَّ شِهابُ تَغلِبَ فَاِستَنارا

وَشُبَّ شِهابُ تَغلِبَ فَاِستَنارا

And we quenched their flame entirely,

And we extinguished their flames altogether

and Taghlib's flame was kindled and shone bright.

While the flame of Taghlib ignited and shone.

تَحَمَّلنا فَلَمّا أَحمَشونا

تَحَمَّلنا فَلَمّا أَحمَشونا

أَصابوا النارَ تَستَعِرُ اِستِعارا

أَصابوا النارَ تَستَعِرُ اِستِعارا

We endured; but when they provoked us,

We endured, but when they provoked us,

they found the fire blazing fiercely.

They were afflicted with a fire that raged violently.

وَأَفلَتَ حاتِمٌ بِفُلولِ قَيسٍ

وَأَفلَتَ حاتِمٌ بِفُلولِ قَيسٍ

إِلى القاطولِ وَاِنتَهَكَ الفِرارا

إِلى القاطولِ وَاِنتَهَكَ الفِرارا

And Hatim escaped with the remnants of Qays

And Hatem escaped with the remnants of Qais

to al-Qatul, pressing his flight to the utmost.

To al-Qatul while breaking through escape.

جَزَيناهُم بِما صَبَحوا شُعَيثاً

جَزَيناهُم بِما صَبَحوا شُعَيثاً

وَأَصحاباً لَهُ وَرَدوا قَرارا

وَأَصحاباً لَهُ وَرَدوا قَرارا

We requited them for their dawn assault on Shu'ayth

We repaid them when they became miserable

and companions of his who had come to Qarar.

And companions to him, returning to settle.

وَخَيرُ مَتالِفِ الأَقوامِ يَوماً

وَخَيرُ مَتالِفِ الأَقوامِ يَوماً

عَلى العَزّاءِ عَزماً وَاِصطِبارا

عَلى العَزّاءِ عَزماً وَاِصطِبارا

And men's noblest deaths, on any day,

The best one who befriends the people one day

are in hardship, with resolve and endurance.

Is one determined and patient in adversity.

فَمَهما كانَ مِن أَلَمٍ فَإِنّا

فَمَهما كانَ مِن أَلَمٍ فَإِنّا

صَبَحناهُم بِها كَأساً عُقارا

صَبَحناهُم بِها كَأساً عُقارا

So whatever pain there was, we indeed

So no matter what pain there was, we

served them a dawn draught of it—a cup of potent wine.

Made them drink it like a bitter cup.

فَلَيتَ حَديثَنا يَأتي شُعَيثاً

فَلَيتَ حَديثَنا يَأتي شُعَيثاً

وَحَنظَلَةَ بنَ قَيسٍ أَو مِرارا

وَحَنظَلَةَ بنَ قَيسٍ أَو مِرارا

Would that our news might reach Shu'ayth,

If only our talk would reach Shu'ayth

and Hanzalah son of Qays, or Mirar,

Or Hanthalah bin Qais or Mirar.

بِما دِنّاهُمُ في كُلِّ وَجهٍ

بِما دِنّاهُمُ في كُلِّ وَجهٍ

وَأَبدَلناهُمُ بِالدارِ دارا

وَأَبدَلناهُمُ بِالدارِ دارا

of how we requited them on every front,

How we degraded them in every way

and gave them another abode in place of their own.

And replaced their homes with homes.

فَلا راذانُ تُدعى فيهِ قَيسٌ

فَلا راذانُ تُدعى فيهِ قَيسٌ

وَلا القاطولُ وَاِقتَنَصوا الوِبارا

وَلا القاطولُ وَاِقتَنَصوا الوِبارا

So Qays is not called upon in Radhan,

No boasters called among Qais

nor in al-Qatul—hunt the hyraxes!

Nor al-Qatul while they sought prey.

صَبَرنا يَومَ لاقَينا عُمَيراً

صَبَرنا يَومَ لاقَينا عُمَيراً

فَأَشبَعنا مَعَ الرَخَمِ النِسارا

فَأَشبَعنا مَعَ الرَخَمِ النِسارا

We stood firm on the day we met Umayr,

We endured the day we met Umayr

so we sated the vultures, along with the Egyptian vultures.

And we saturated, along with harm, the eagles.

وَكانَ اِبنُ الحُبابِ أُعيرَ عِزّاً

وَكانَ اِبنُ الحُبابِ أُعيرَ عِزّاً

وَلَم يَكُ عِزُّ تَغلِبَ مُستَعارا

وَلَم يَكُ عِزُّ تَغلِبَ مُستَعارا

And Ibn al-Hubab had been lent glory,

The son of Hubab borrowed glory

but Taghlib's glory was not borrowed.

But the glory of Taghlib was not borrowed.

فَلا تَرجوا العُيونَ لِتَنزِلوها

فَلا تَرجوا العُيونَ لِتَنزِلوها

وَلا الرَهَواتِ وَاِلتَمِسوا المَغارا

وَلا الرَهَواتِ وَاِلتَمِسوا المَغارا

So do not hope to settle at the springs,

So do not wish for the valleys to descend them

nor in the lowlands; seek a cave.

Nor the prairies, and seek the caves.

وَسيري يا هَوازِنُ نَحوَ أَرضٍ

وَسيري يا هَوازِنُ نَحوَ أَرضٍ

بِها العَذراءُ تَتَّبِعُ القُتارا

بِها العَذراءُ تَتَّبِعُ القُتارا

And journey, O Hawazin, toward a land

And march, O Hawazin, to a land

where the maiden follows the smell of roasting meat.

Where the chaste woman pursues the train.

فَإِنّا حَيثُ حَلَّ المَجدُ يَوماً

فَإِنّا حَيثُ حَلَّ المَجدُ يَوماً

حَلَلناهُ وَسِرنا حَيثُ سارا

حَلَلناهُ وَسِرنا حَيثُ سارا

For wherever glory has ever dwelt,

For wherever glory settled one day

we dwelt there, and journeyed wherever it journeyed.

We settled it and marched wherever it marched.